Similar to shown: ½-inch-thick plate-rail trim with a 2½-inch projection, about $1.75 per linear foot; at lumberyards

Make a wood holder by cutting a 2×4 into five 12-inch sections and nailing each to a mounting strip cut from the same board. Brush on a wood stain and fasten the assemblies to the wall, leaving space in between for rolled hand towels.

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Dress up a plain mirror that’s adhered to the wall by overlaying a wood frame. Here, three mirrors were created from one by fastening a 1×8 to the wall at the top and gluing vertical 1×6 stiles and a 1×4 bottom rail to the mirror with clear adhesive caulk. A 1×2 ledge crowns the assembly.

Similar to shown: Glass squares starting at about $1.20 each; cooltiles.com

Expect to pay about $300 for a similar door at columbusarchitecturalsalvage.com.

When space doesn’t allow for a traditional hinged door, install a sliding one. This salvaged schoolhouse door glides on a wall-mount track patterned after barn-door hardware. Glass in the door’s top panel ushers light from the hallway into the windowless bath.

About $50 for a beadboard panel, shelf board, and molding; at lumberyards

Douglas fir board, about $4 for 10 feet, and Minwax stain in Golden Pecan, about $4.60 per half pint; lowes.com

5. Swapped the 5-foot tub for one 4 feet long to allow for the door swing.

Reviving a tired washroom needn’t require a total overhaul. Learn how to add style and character at an affordable price.

The slim toilet, at a scaled-down 14 ¼ inches wide, makes the most of space borrowed from the hall and a bedroom closet.

See the step-by-step at How to Build a Mirror From Case Molding

When a house has only one bath, remodeling can wreak havoc with daily routines. Steve and Laura McElhaney, owners of a 1941 bungalow in Jacksonville, Florida, lived with their single bath’s cracked pink tile for five years before calling in general contractor Dean Celano—then asking neighbors for temporary bath privileges. Celano gutted the space, annexed parts of a closet and hall, including space that held a nonworking chimney and hall-facing open shelves, and moved the doorway. Replumbing allowed the toilet to move to a better spot, while the sink gained its own alcove, and a smaller tub opened up floor space. To give the bath a timeless, eclectic style, Laura chose a contemporary light fixture and sink, oversize subway tile, and traditional penny-rounds in white and blue, using it to cover the sink wall from floor to ceiling. Three weeks sans tub and toilet paid off. “It’s exactly as I pictured it,” says Laura, “the perfect combination of cheery and restful.”

2. Replaced the pedestal sink with a wall-mount basin fitted with a towel rack and storage shelf.

Find summer-front surrounds like this arched one starting at $150 at salvage yards.

Dress up unadorned bathroom windows with fabric Roman shades in an eye-catching pattern, such as this yellow floral.

Repurpose a Victorian-era cast-iron surround from a fireplace summer front as a frame for mirror glass that’s been cut to fit inside its center opening.

3. Added 2 feet to the room by annexing space from the hallway.

Annexing parts of a hall and closet allowed the home’s only bath to grow from 35 to 58 square feet. Together with new wiring and plumbing, the enlargement led to a more functional layout.

Find dressers with a distressed painted finish like this for as little as $50 at garage sales and flea markets.

Repurpose a mirrored dresser as a sink cabinet by making a cutout in the top for a drop-in lav.

A pair of fixtures can cost upward of $2,000, compared with about $800 for having both reglazed by a professional. Find a pro at napcoltd.com.

Craft a rustic and rustproof surround for your drop-in bathtub out of corrugated, galvanized-steel roof paneling.

Similar to shown: Mildew-resistant Bath Paint Semi-Gloss Finish in Lemon Twist, about $43 per gallon; sherwin-williams.com

Rather than replace an old cast-iron claw-foot tub and sink, save a bundle by reglazing them instead.

Similar to shown: C2 Paint’s LoVo Interior Latex Semi-Gloss in Raindrop, about $57 per gallon; c2paint.com

Frame mirror glass with fluted door casing; about $36 for a trim kit at The Home Depot.

Cap wainscot wall paneling with a ledge on which to prop decorative accents. Here, a windowsill does double duty as a landing spot for toiletries and a mirror.

An alternative to a stone slab, a tiled counter resists water but costs a lot less and is easy for DIYers to install. This terra-cotta top has white-painted wood edging to go with the vanity below. A bead of clear caulk keeps water away from the wood.

Thriftier than most wall tile and less maintenance than wood, beadboard paneling made from cellular PVC stands up to sloshing and never needs to be painted. Eight-inch-wide panels come in white or blue.

The tub enclosure is set off by a lowered arched ceiling lined with blue penny-rounds, which are repeated in an accent border around the walls.

The blue border ties together the tub ceiling, mosaic floor, and sink wall.

Blue penny rounds replaced black ones—pried one by one out from their net backing—to lend the flower-pattern mosaic a custom look.

Homeowner Tip: “Base your palette on something you love. Ours was inspired by a collection of blue and white transferware.”

Vinyl composition tile offers a durable and inexpensive alternative to a two-toned ceramic-tile floor. To get the look of these small squares, use a vinyl tile cutter to slice 12-inch tiles into 4-inch ones.

A 12-by-12-foot sheet, enough for one side of a tub (as shown), is about $18 at homedepot.com.

Turn the ceiling into a focal point by installing a medallion and handsome hanging fixture, such as this bronze-toned light with crystal teardrops. If installed over a tub, as seen here, be sure there’s at least 8 feet of clearance from the tub rim to the bottom of the pendant to comply with electrical code.

Conceal toiletries in a sleek hanging cabinet that doesn’t eat up any floor space.

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Find salvaged medical, lab, and apothecary cabinets starting at about $70 on etsy.com.

Refresh a vintage tiled floor, such as this unglazed Art Deco–era yellow-and-black porcelain mosaic, with an eco- and homeowner-friendly acid etcher that removes ground-in dirt from the surface and grout lines.

Use battery-powered LED wax pillars to create a candlelight effect with-out the fire hazard.

Frame mirror glass with fluted door casing; about $36 for a trim kit at The Home Depot.See the step-by-step at How to Build a Mirror From Case Molding

Carve out a cubby. Frame the recess, line it with beadboard, and trim it with molding.

4. Shifted the door farther down the wall to create a new, less visible spot for the toilet. Next to the door is an alcove

1. Moved one wall out by 5 inches, annexing a portion of a bedroom closet.

Reviving a tired washroom needn’t require a total overhaul. In the following gallery, see how updated fixtures, painted floors, smart storage solutions, and creative wall, window, and mirror treatments can add character and style at an affordable price.